Mirror Mirror
by C3ll4
Summary: casefic! Dead people, a teenager's life on the line and mirrors. What could possibly go wrong? Sam and Dean are up against something they haven't faced before. Will they get it before it's too late? (I suck at summaries) Hurt!boys.
1. These dreams

So I haven't posted in a very long time. Mostly because I feel like my writing is just crap but thanks to a persuasive little sister and sister in law, I've decided to post this story.

It's my first casefic, by the way.

This story was kinda inspired by nightmares I had as a kid. To this day I am still not very fond of mirrors. I do not have any mirrors in my room.

The lore is based on nothing. Just my own wild imagination. I hope y'all enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or the boys :( No beta either, all mistakes are mine.

-SPN-

Sandy didn't want to sleep. For the past four nights, she'd been having nightmares. Each night it got scarier up to the point that she'd wake up screaming and drenched in cold sweat with her heart almost beating out of her chest. She'd told Troy about her nightmare and he laughed at her. Little brothers were a pain in the ass.

She tried to stay awake but even she couldn't fight the pull of sleep anymore. As usual her dream started off normal. Her playing in a field of flowers while her mom made her a sandwich and Troy sleeping on the blanket. Suddenly clouds came rolling in and it became pitch black. The scenery changed and Sandy was inside a mirror.

"No, not again." Sandy whispered. She squeezed her eyes tight. Wake up, wake up, Sandy repeated in her mind. She opened her eyes again and she made a squeak as she was still inside the mirror. She looked around but the only thing she saw was herself in the mirror. Tears were filling her eyes. She wanted to get out. She started banging on the mirror but it wouldn't break. Please let me wake up, Sandy thought when she closed her eyes again. When she opened them she saw him. She turned around and looked at the dark hooded entity. Sandy couldn't tell if it was human or not. It seemed to levitate above the ground. It reached for her and Sandy screamed.

"No, leave me alone." She shouted at the figure. She started to run but kept bumping into the mirrors. It was coming closer. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it was going to beat out of her chest. There was nowhere to go. She slid to the ground. The tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Let me wake up, please?" Sandy whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut.

-SPN-

Troy was lying on his bed. He had just finished writing his essay for English. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 2 in the morning. Sandy would have a fit if she found out that he was late again. Lately that was all her and him were doing. Fighting. He understood perfectly well that he would always be her little brother but he needed a little freedom. After their mother passed away, life had been hard on both of them. Troy was seventeen when she died and he knew Sandy did the best she could. And he loved her. Loved that she took him in without a single thought but he also knew that he was the reason why that weasel left her. Bastard didn't like Troy. Never had. Finally, things came to head two months ago. On the six-month anniversary of their mother's dead, a day after Troy turned eighteen. Troy really wished he could make things better for his sister. She deserved nothing less. His big sister was his protector and she loved him fiercely as he did her.

He was just about to close his eyes when he heard Sandy call out. Another nightmare, Troy thought as he got up. He ventured into his sister's room. She was tossing and turning and whimpering. Must be one helluva nightmare, Troy thought to himself.

"Sandy, wake up. You're having a nightmare." Troy gently shook his sister but she didn't settle or snapped out of it like she always did.

"Sandy, come on wake up." Troy's voice was a bit louder now, hoping he could coax his sister from her nightmare with his voice. But again, she never gave an indication that she heard him..

Sandy had hit another mirror and she broke down in tears and slid to the ground.

"What do you want from me?" Sandy sobbed as she felt his presence coming closer. It never spoke and Sandy never saw its face. Once it was practically on her Sandy still saw nothing. Just blackness. Complete blackness. Then it was on her. It held her face and she could see something leave her body. The feelings she'd been carrying around since her mother died intensified. Until all she felt was despair, anguish and grief.

Troy could see that the tossing increasing and then she was writhing all over the bed. She let out a blood curling scream and her body just stilled, a tear falling from her eye as it did. Troy was shocked by what he had just witnessed. He was shaking.

"Sandy?" His voice was trembling almost as bad as the hand he reached out to touch her. He gently shook her but her whole body was just still.

"Sandy?" He looked at her and noticed the lack of movement from her chest. He shook her more forcefully this time.

"Sandy, please wake up." Troy was crying now because he knew. Somehow, he just knew that his sister was dead.

-SPN-

Let me know what y'all think of it. The next chapter will include Sam and Dean.

This story is as good as finished so it shouldn't be long for the whole story to be online.

Thank you


	2. Big little brother

-SPN-

Sam was scouring the internet looking for another job while waiting for Dean to arrive with their breakfast. One article caught his eye. He was going over the article again when Dean walked in with coffee and donuts. Sam rolled his eyes. He specifically said no donuts. He was sick of donuts for breakfast.

Dean spotted Sam's bitch-face and schooled his features.

"What's up Sammy?" He handed Sam his coffee.

"One non-fat girly drink for Samantha. And they didn't have any rolls so I brought donuts."

"Dude, I said no donuts man. You're an asshat, Dean."

"Dude, it was donuts or something vegan. I figured you'd at least appreciate this. Hey, but if you don't want it, I'll be more than happy to eat them myself." Dean said as he reached for the donuts. Knowing Sam would go for the donuts regardless.

"No, that's okay. I'll eat them myself. I found us a case." Sam said as he pulled a donut out of the bag.

"Where?" Dean asked as he pulled his duffel from underneath the bed.

"Idaho." Sam looked at his brother. "Dude, where's your breakfast?" Dean smiled. It was that smile Sam hated.

"Dude, you were only gone like twenty minutes."

"Well Lauren is a very talented lady." Sam made a face.

"Okay stop. I don't need to hear this." Dean smirked.

"Prude."

"Okay, so Idaho. Four people died in their sleep. Different ages and sexes."

"Hmm sex."

"Dude focus." Dean really loved to rile up his little brother. You'd think the boy never had sex before.

"Yeah so."

"The latest victim was 23-year-old Sandy Johnson. Her brother couldn't wake her when he heard her having a nightmare. He says that she'd been having weird dreams for the past couple of days. Dreams of being trapped in a mirror."

"Bloody Mary?"

"Bloody Mary follows you around through mirrors. She didn't enter people's dreams."

"If we head out now, we can be there by nightfall." Dean said as he picked up his duffel. Sam followed his brother and they headed out.

-SPN-

"Welcome to Podunk, Idaho." Dean joked as they rode into town. Night had just fallen and Sam was tired. He knew Dean had to be tired as well, his brother had driven the entire time while Sam got some research done. But doing research in the car brought one big disadvantage for Sam and that was his body was just too big and he was seriously getting aches and cramps from being stuffed in the car like a human pretzel.

When Sam remained quiet, Dean knew it was time to find a place to stay and let Sam get some sleep. Sam had stayed awake throughout the entire ride doing research so Dean knew his little brother had to be exhausted. He, on the other hand, was not. Driving for this long always hyped him up. He was hungry and craving some alcohol. He knew Sam wouldn't join him. He rolled his eyes at that. Ginormous, little brother had no idea what fun was. He took the first motel he came across and silently thanked whoever out there for it being a decent motel. It was obviously a family place. The motel was run by a small family. The kids were barely adults but they all looked kind. Dean spotted a young couple with a baby. A memory of baby Sam popped into his mind. He smiled at the memory.

"Sir, your key, and you can park the car in front of your room." Dean was handed the key, thanked the kid, and he drove to their home for the next couple of days.

Sam stumbled out of the car and inside the room and all but crashed onto the bed.

"Dude, you should take a shower. I'll even let you go first." Dean said but Sam was just too knackered. He made a sound but not even he could decipher what he meant to say and he closed his eyes.

"Listen, I'm just going to see if there's a place where I can get a burger or something 'cause I'm starving. Do you want anything?" Dean asked Sam but his little brother was already in dreamland. Dean chuckled. He removed Sam's boots. Sam made a noise and Dean snorted. Kid's face was half buried in the pillow. Dean wondered how it was possible for Sam to still look like a little kid.

"Night Sammy." Dean whispered as he left the room.

-SPN-

I know...short chapter and not much happening here besides the brotherly banter we love so much. Next chapter we'll get to see the boys actually work the case.

Thank you for reading


	3. Enter sandman

Yes, so I figured y'all wouldn't mind another chapter. I mean, this story is as good as finished.

Again no beta, all mistakes are mine.

I don't own them...sigh

-SPN-

Dean found a bar not far from the motel. He could've walked the distance if he'd known. He ordered a burger and a beer. There was even a pool table and a dartboard. But Dean figured he shouldn't be hustling here. Not if he was to play a fed or some other government official. The waitress walked up to him. He had seen her from the moment he entered the bar. She was kinda okay looking but Dean wasn't looking for a companion for the night. At least not today. He ate the burger, downed the beer and asked for another one. He looked around. There weren't many people around. Of course, it had to be close to closing time. He noticed a young man in the corner. He was young. Probably too young to be in a bar. Dean picked up his beer and walked over to him.

"You look like you need a beer." The boy lifted his head and made eye contact with Dean. His eyes were puffy and red-rimmed from crying.

"I shouldn't be here." He whispered.

"What's your name kid?"

"Troy. Troy Johnson."

"My name is Dean."  
"Leave the kid alone." Someone called out. Dean turned around and looked right into the face of a burly older man.

"I was just making small talk, man." Dean said as he threw his arms up, showing he meant no harm.

"Troy, why don't you go upstairs. You must be tired." Troy said nothing and did nothing. Dean felt for the boy. He had to do something. He put his beer down and fished out his credential.

"Dean DeYoung, and I'm with the FBI. I'm here to investigate the deaths." The older man looked at his badge and took a step backwards.

"Listen, I know Troy shouldn't be here but he is staying with me. I don't want to leave him alone."

"That's okay. You are not in trouble." The man nodded and held out a hand.

"My name is Carl Drover. I'm the owner of the bar." Dean shook his hand.

"Pleasure. Listen Troy, I will find out what happened to your sister. I give you my word." And with that Dean left them alone. He drained the last of his beer and went back to the motel. When he got back to the motel, Sam was still sprawled on the bed only now he was lying under the covers. Dean took a quick shower and finally, he laid down for the night as well. He would tell Sam about the kid when he woke up.

-SPN-

Fourteen-year-old Brian Thompson was dreaming. Mirrors. Mirrors everywhere. He screamed and woke up with a shout. His bedroom door opened and his parents came in.

"Brian, what's going on?" Brian wiped his face. He was covered in sweat. His heart was thumping so hard, it hurt.

"Honey, did you have a nightmare?" His mother asked while she stroked his hair. Brian sniffled. His father came back with a towel and gave it to him.

"You want to tell us about it, sport?" His father asked. Brian shook his head.

"Bri?"

"I'm okay." The teenager said softly.

"Let's change your sheets. They're drenched in sweat. Maybe you oughtta go to the bathroom and freshen up a bit. Paul, can you make him a cup of warm milk." Paul smiled.

"Sure honey." Brian felt embarrassed. He hadn't had nightmares like this since he was 5.

"Baby, it's okay. Everyone has nightmares sometimes." His mother hugged him tight. She could feel her son's heart beating too fast. She murmured softly in his ears. Gradually he relaxed and became pliant. This showed Karen just how terrified her son was. Paul came back with a cup of warm milk.

"Hey sport, how are you feeling?" Paul put the cup on the nightstand.

"Better."

"Good, why don't you go freshen up a bit while your mom and I change the sheets." Brian nodded. He got up and went into the bedroom. When he looked into the mirror he started to cry. His father must've heard cause he came in.

"Brian?" Brian looked at his father and hugged him.

"Buddy, what's wrong?" Brian said nothing, just stayed safe in his father's arms.

"Mirrors." Brian whispered.

"You dreamt about mirrors?" His father asked. Brian nodded.

"I was trapped inside. And I was feeling so much grief and despair. Just like when Justin died, only ten times worse." Paul held his son a bit tighter. Justin was Brian's best friend since kindergarten. The kid passed away two months ago. Brian didn't have many friends and Justin was like a brother to him. After a few minutes, Brian pulled away. Paul got the hint and walked out. Brian changed his PJ's and went back to bed. His mom kissed him on the forehead and Brian fell asleep again. This time no mirrors invaded his dreams.

Paul and Karen had no idea what brought on this nightmare but both parents found it very odd for their son to have such an intense nightmare. Karen shuddered.

"Are you okay, honey?" Paul asked.

"His heart was beating so fast, Paul. That can't be normal. I thought our son was going to have a heart attack with the way his heart was beating.

"It was just a nightmare." Karen nodded but wasn't comforted. Both parents took another peek at Brian. As they were retreating back to their room a noise in the other room had both parents frowning at each other. Paul opened the door and groaned.

"No Teddy, it's time for bed." As Karen stepped into the room part of her wanted to get angry but the other part wanted to laugh out loud. Their four-year-old was apparently having a party with his stuffed animals.

Paul groaned. "This is going to be a long night." Karen agreed. A very long night.

-SPN-

Alrighty, we are slowly progressing. Now we know who the next victim will be. Any thoughts on how this thing is choosing it's victims? Have you connected the dots?


	4. Connections

-SPN-

The next morning, Sam and Dean adorned their suits and went to the coroner's office. Sam took a closer look at the body while Dean asked the coroner a few question while going through the files.

They examined the body of Sandy and talked to Troy. He told them about her nightmares. The kid was pretty shaken up but he was able to tell them what he knew. Apparently, the meeting with Dean, the night before was helping a lot. Dean had a look in Sandy's room. He found nothing out of the ordinary.

"The coroner said your sister died of a heart attack." Sam said and Troy snorted.

"Heart attack. How can my sister die of a heart attack when she never had any problems with her heart?" Troy asked with emotion. Neither Sam nor Dean knew what to say.

"We're sorry for your loss."

"You said you were going to find out what killed her. Do you have any leads?" Troy asked Dean.

"Not yet but we are going to find out what did it." Troy just nodded. Dean gave Troy a pat on his shoulder. They left and when they reached the car both men just looked at each other.

"The kid's devastated." Dean said.

"Yeah, I can't imagine what it must be like seeing your sibling in the throes of a nightmare and never coming out of it." Both shuddered at the thought. Both had seen the other suffer from nightmares but this...neither could imagine not being able to waken the other.

"Did you find anything in her room?" Sam asked Dean.

"No, nothing specific. We need more information." Dean grabbed the files and took a look at the details surrounding each death.

"Yeah well we've got no leads so far." Sam commented.

"Well, they all said that before they blew out their last breath they cried." Dean said.

"Yeah but we don't know if it's connected to whatever it is we're hunting."

"Okay, maybe we should focus on what they have in common." Dean opted.

"Well, what do an 8-year-old, 53-year-old, 45-year-old and 23-year-old all have in common?"

"Maybe they all went to the same grocery store? Or same coffee shop."

"I doubt that 8-year-old Nat Decker was allowed to have a cup of coffee, Dean." Dean rolled his eyes. Sam was waiting for Dean's retort but when his brother didn't reciprocate he looked at Dean. His brother was either deep in thoughts or he found another piece of the puzzle.

"Dude?" Dean looked up.

"What?"

"You like zoned out on me there. What is it?"

"I was reading through the files. They all suffered some kind of loss. Whatever it is, it latches on to those who've experienced traumatic loss or something like that." Dean said with a little frown. Sam was impressed. He hadn't actually thought about that yet.

"So how do we find out what the next victim is?" Sam asked.

"That's for you to find out, geek boy." Sam rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll hit the library and see what I can dig up. What are you going to do?"

"Visit the other victims' family." Dean said. Though Sam knew that it wasn't Dean's favorite thing to do his brother was actually good at it. And Sam didn't really like it when they split up but since they had not leads, only theories, it was for the best.

"Alright, call me when you're done." Dean nodded.

-SPN-

Sam was in the library going through numerous of books. He found several mentions but nothing concrete. This was going to take way too long. He had to find a way to narrow it down but how? The statements they had were not enough to form a clear picture of what was going after the victims. The drawings didn't help either. Sam kept going through loads of books. He had placed a call to Bobby, hoping that the older hunter could help him but no such luck. Bobby promised to call him if he found something, which was another way of saying tough luck son. He hoped Dean had more luck than him.

Dean's first stop was Saul Balducci's place. He rang the bell and a man opened the door.

"Hi, my name is agent DeYoung. I wanted to ask you a few questions about Saul Balducci." The man nodded and let Dean in.

"Can you tell me your relationship with the victim?"

"Eh, yeah. Saul and I were friends and colleagues. We've known each other since high school. He, he helped me get through high school and college." Dean nodded.

"You were both teachers?"

"Yes, Saul taught chemistry and I'm a history teacher."

"Was there anything weird going on the days before Saul passed?" Dean asked.

"He had these nightmares. About mirrors. It totally freaked him out. He said that with each day that creature came closer. He said it felt so real." Pete let out a humorless laugh. "I laughed at him. Told him he was picturing things. I should've taken him more serious, right?" Dean had no idea what to say.

"Pete, did Saul ever describe his dream in detail?" Dean asked.

"He wrote it down." Pete said as he walked to Saul's room. He came back with a note book.

"He wrote it in here. He said that after his parents died, it helped him with his dreams. It wasn't until Cory died that the mirror nightmares started."

"Cory?"

"Saul's dog. He loved that stupid dog. Treated it like it was his kid. Damn mutt slept next to him and used my shoes as chewing toys." Dean could see the fondness on Pete's face. Pete swallowed and looked at Dean.

"You're going to find whatever did it, right?" The look he was giving Dean made it clear that he didn't believe Dean's cover story. Dean simply raised his eyebrows is a questioning matter.

"I'm not going to anything. Not if you find whatever hurt my friend." Pete said to Dean.

"Whatever?" Dean asked.

"I know there's more than just life. I saw a ghost once. Then some guy took a swing at it with iron and told us to beat it. I followed him as the guy went to the cemetery and dig up some broad's bones only to salt and burn it. Then he told me that I had to go home and never think about this ever again. I asked if it meant that other things were real as well. He just nodded and said 'just go and live your life kid. You won't run into things like this again. Go live your life and make something of it'. Never saw him again but man my interest was piqued and I got subscriptions to every weird thing out there. It was also the reason why I wasn't liked by my classmates. I was the weird ghost kid. Until Saul came along. Two dudes bonding over weird things." Dean said nothing but handed him his card.

"Call me if you remember something." Dean said as he left.

Dean's next stop was the family of 45-year-old painter Libby Cook. Turns out Libby had no friends or family. She was found a day after because she sold a painting and they wanted to pick it up. Dean had a look at her paintings and one painting caught his eye. It was a painting of Libby trapped in a mirror and a dark figure standing behind her. He snapped a few photos with his phone and left.

Final name on his list was the family of 8-year-old Nathaniel Decker.

-SPN-


	5. Lucky

Hey y'all thanks for the reviews. I'll be leaving the country for a couple of days so here's another chapter.

Still not mine...:(

-SPN-

Sam finally found something useful in one of the books he found in the library. But, of course, getting rid of the damn thing was going to be hard. He found a spell and a mention of silver. Apparently, the Mirror Walker could be killed by silver and the spell could be used to make a portal between the two realms. The only problem was, that they needed someone the creature had latched on and while that person was dreaming they could enter the mirror realm. Fuck.  
The mirror walker was born out of grieve and despair by a dying person. Two facing mirrors and a dying person equals a mirror walker. Who'd a thought?

Sam copied the spell and wrote down several other things that could come in handy while they hunted this thing. He also found a vague sketch of what it supposedly looked like and Sam couldn't help but think that it looked a lot like a Dementor, a classier Dementor. Just a black nothing that looked like a person dressed in black. Sam placed another call to Bobby, hoping that the older hunter would have any suggestions. He told Sam that he wasn't home yet but he would let Sam know just as soon as he found something useful. Sam thanked Bobby and promised to call if they ran into trouble. He glanced at his watch. Almost four. Damn, time certainly flies doing research. His stomach growled and Sam thought about getting food. Sam put the books away and went to the coffee place next to the library. He ordered a coffee and sandwich. He was going over his notes.

How the hell were they going to find a new victim?

-SPN-

Paul and Karen Thompson sat down at the table next to Sam's. Paul nodded to Sam and Sam gave Karen a smile.

"Hi Karen, Paul. What can I get you guys?"

"Hi Jenny, coffee and slice of that rhubarb pie." Paul said and Karen shook her head.

"Coffee and a chocolate muffin for me." Karen said. The waitress looked at her friends.

"You both look beat."

"Yeah rough night, rough morning and now we just want coffee and sweets to make it better." Misty laughed.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yes, Brian had a nightmare. He was so upset. When we finally got him back to bed Teddy decided to have a party in his room. We both overslept. Teddy and Brian were both late for school. Paul missed his meeting and I missed my appointment. So, we decided to play hooky. After, of course, getting the kids to school."

"Brian misses Justin a lot." Misty said.

"Yeah, they were inseparable." Paul said with a sad smile.

"Did he dream about Justin?"

"No, he dreamed about mirrors. I have never seen him that upset over a nightmare. It took us close to forty minutes to get him settled again. His sheets were soaked and his heart was racing." Paul said as he thought about last night.

Sam's ears shot up. He glanced at the couple sitting next to him. Paul and Karen. Their son dreamed about mirrors. No way. Shit like this never happens to us, Sam thought. He looked around suspiciously, expecting the trickster to show up. He pulled out his wallet and cellphone. Dropped a couple of bills on the table and dialed Dean's number.

-SPN-

This was the part Dean hated. Kids shouldn't be victims of evil. Nathaniel Decker parents, Evan and Nicole, were inconsolable. There was nothing he could say or do that would make it better. Even killing that evil son of a bitch wouldn't bring these people closure. Nat had been a miracle baby. Born prematurely, his chances of survival had been slim. Nat had pulled through and had been a happy kid. Until the kid's grandfather died. according to Evan, Nat and his grandfather had been inseparable. Shortly after the grandfather died, Evan started having nightmares. Evan showed him his room. Kid's room was covered in cars. Old cars. Muscle cars of the 60's and 70's. Dean picked up the Impala.

"He loved that car. It was the last one my father gave him before he died." His father said. Dean put the car back. "Agent?"

"Yes?"

"What killed my son? I know it wasn't a heart attack. You are here investigating. That can't be a coincidence."

"We are just conducting an investigation."

"My son was afraid to sleep. He said that the monster would come and get him. I didn't take him serious. Do you believe in monsters?" Dean looked at the man.

"Would it make a difference?"

"Yes." The father said in a heartbeat. Dean sighed.

"Yes, I believe in monsters because sometimes they are real." Dean didn't say anything else. He hoped that would be enough.

"Whatever killed Nat, killed the others too, right?"

"Yeah but no more. I promise you." Evan just nodded.

"Thank you." He eventually said. Evan showed him out and stopped in his track when he saw the Impala. Dean followed the man's gaze and he felt sadness wash over him.

"He would've loved your car." Evan said softly. Dean said nothing. Couldn't say anything. He just gave the man a slight nod and walked to his car. He sat down and did nothing. Just sat there. He hated cases like this. Cases where kids were involved. For some reason, they always hit him hard. He had no idea why that was. Maybe because he always thought of Sam. Pictured that it was Sam that got hurt. And he couldn't let that happen. He'd rather die than let something happen to his little brother. He was startled by the phone. Dean took a few deep breaths.

"Yeah."

 _"You need to get down here, right now." Sam said._

"You find anything?" Dean asked while he started the car.

 _"_ _Just get here and I'll explain."_

-SPN-

Hope you like this chapter. Thanks for reading!


	6. Suspicions

No action in this chapter though we are moving along nicely.

Again thanks for those reading and reviewing this story.

No beta, all mistakes are mine!

-SPN-

Sam was standing outside waiting for Dean to arrive. He had kept a close eye on Paul and Karen. So far, they were still inside. Sam looked at his watch. He finally heard the familiar roar of the Impala. Dean pulled up to the curb and turned off the engine.

"What's going on?" Dean asked as he got out.

"I found our next victim." Sam watched his brother's facial expression.

"Scuse me?" Sam gave Dean the 411. After Sam was finished Dean just looked at him.

"You serious?" Dean asked his brother.

"Yeah man. I mean we never get this lucky, like ever. But I overheard them talking and it sounds like it just started. Did you find out how long it takes before it strikes?"

"Six to seven days."

"What else did you find out?"

"Well, not much. It just spooks the hell out of the person they're haunting. Kinda like Freddy did. You get too scared to sleep but eventually you have to sleep and then it strikes and it stalks you and then it sucks everything out of you."

"What do you want to do next?"

"If you are right and that kid is next then we have to stop it. We can use that spell you found and gank that son of a bitch."

"How do you want to do that? It's not like we can just walk up to them and say; 'something evil is after your son but we can stop it'." Dean gave Sam a look. Quirked eyebrows and a smirk.

"Dude, you're not serious?" Sam asked his older brother.

"Why not?

"Dean, they'll have us arrested."

"Not if they want to save their kid." Both men were still standing in front of the coffee shop when Karen and Paul walked through the door. Without warning Dean walked up to them. He pulled out his badge and held it in front of their faces.

"I'm sorry. This is Sam Smith and I'm Dean DeYoung. We are with the CDC and are investigating the deaths of several people here, who all died under mysterious circumstances. My partner overheard your conversation and we were wondering if we could ask your son a few questions?"

"Our son? What does he have to do with this?" Paul asked.

"Well the other victims were experiencing the same symptoms." Sam explained. The couple looked absolutely mortified.

"B-but…" Karen couldn't say anything else. She just stared at Sam and Dean and then at Paul.

"Well, he should be home right now." Paul gave them their address and they took off. Sam looked at Dean and Dean just nodded. They arrived at the Thompsons ten minutes later. They lived in a nice cul-de-sac. The lawns were all kept and some yards were littered with toys and bicycles.

"Welcome to Pleasantville." Dean said as he parked the car in front of the house and looked at Sam. "How do you want to do this?" He asked his brother.

"First we talk to the kid. Then we convince the folks and we get rid of it." Dean laughed.

"You don't really think that's gonna work, right?"

"Why not? I mean how do you want to do it Mr. Subtlety?"

"Come on Sam, you've seen how they acted when we mentioned the other deaths. They're not gonna believe us. Would you? Two random guys showing up and talking about something straight out of a Stephen King novel. We convince the kid and maybe he can convince his folks." Sam hated it when his brother was right. He had to admit that his plan sounded more like something Dean would do than him. He sighed.

"Fine, let's go." Sam watched as Dean checked his gun and got out. He rolled his eyes and followed his brother. The two of them walked up to the house and before either one could press the doorbell, the door swung open. The boys were led into the living room. Karen Thompson was sitting next to Brian.

"Hi, you must be Brain. I'm Sam and this is Dean. We're with the CDC and like to ask you a couple of questions?" Brian looked unsure of himself and looked at his mother.

"It's okay honey."

"When did you start experiencing these nightmares?" Sam asked.

"Eh, two days ago." Brian was fidgeting with his hands. The questions made him feel uneasy.

"Did you eat anything out of the ordinary or did you go somewhere?" Dean asked.

"No, nothing. Just school and home." Brian said.

"I'm sorry but would it be possible for us to speak to Brian, alone?" Sam asked.

"Why?" Mrs. Thompson asked.

"Well, because Brian is a teenager and they don't want their parents to know everything. It's just to make sure that Brian is telling us the truth about everything."

"Our son wouldn't lie to us."

"Ma'am please, your son is a teenager and we've all been there and we've all done things that made a little worried about what our parents might think of us. We've been doing this long enough to know that every kid has done at least one thing they didn't want their parents to know about. What if that piece of information might be the clue we need in order to solve this?" Sam brought out the big guns and Dean couldn't help the smirk that slid on his face. Sam gave Karen the puppy dog eyes. Dean wanted to shake his head. It worked every time. He knew she was going to cave. The little twitch of her hand. Oh yeah, cat's in the bag.

Karen contemplated the words. She just didn't want to leave her son alone with these two men. They made her feel uneasy. She couldn't explain why but still she was suspicious about these two. Especially the shorter one. He had a dangerous vibe allover. She looked at Paul and her husband shrugged, meaning that it was her call.

"Fine, why don't you go to Brian's room." That way, if something was hinky, she knew for certain that these men couldn't just take off.

Sam and Dean glanced at each other. The mother inadvertently played right into their hands.

"Very well. We'll be in Brian's room." The trio went upstairs and they closed the door behind them.

-SPN-

Hmm...will they be able to convince Brian, or better yet, his parents? Stay tuned for the next chapter :)

Thanks for reading!


	7. Convincing the parents

To my loyal guest reviewer Kathy, thank you so much for reviewing. It really means a lot to me :)

Sorry for the wait but I was doing GISH but I also had to work, so little to no time to tweak this chapter and when I finally managed to do it I accidentally deleted the edited version. But I'll make it up to y'all.

-SPN-

"Am I gonna die?" The kid asked Sam and Dean as soon as the door closed.

"No, we're not going to let anything happen to you." Dean said.

"Do you know what's happening to me?"

"Yes." Dean said.

"Why don't you want my parents to know?" Brian asked.

"Because I'm sure they would call the cops on us." Dean said.

"You are not really with the CDC, are you?" Brian asked in a quiet voice.

"No, but we can help. Thing is, we can't help you until you are asleep." Dean said.

"Oh." Sam could see that the kid was terrified of that.

"It's the only way, Brian. We know that sleeping is the last thing you want to do right now but trust us. It's the only way." Sam tried.

"But what if you can't help me?" The boy asked.

"We'll stop it Brian." Dean said.

"What is it anyway?" Sam smiled, it was good to see that the kid was still curious. Curious meant they could help him.

"It's something called a Mirror Walker. They are attracted to your pain and grief and they feed on it, intensifying those feeling and then your heart stops. ." Brian just nodded.

"How do you get rid of them?" Brian asked, looking terrified.

"Well it requires a sleeping you, a mirror and a spell. With the spell, we are able to enter that dream realm." Sam explained to the teenager. They gave the teenager a couple of minutes to process everything. Dean looked around the room and it looked like a normal room for teenagers. Lots of posters, a pile of clothes on a chair, a desk littered with magazines and homework and last but not least a mirror. Out of principle alone Dean wanted to destroy it but he was pretty sure his brother wouldn't appreciate it much.

"That's why you need me to convince my parents." Brian said eventually.

"Yeah, it's not like we can tell them this and expect them to believe us. But it's imperative that they do. This thing has killed four already. One was an eight-year old boy." Sam explained.

"Nat."

"You knew him?"

"His father and my dad both served together. They'll believe you. I know I can convince them to listen." Brian looked from Sam to Dean. The brothers looked at each other. Sam shrugged.

"Okay. Let's get this show on the road." Brian called his parents. Neither brother believed something good would come of it. It just didn't work that way for the Winchesters.

-SPN-

Karen and Paul entered the bedroom. They immediately looked at their son. He looked scared and freaked out.

"Mom, dad, I know you want to protect me from everything but you can't help me with this. Sam and Dean can." Karen and Paul both looked confused at each other.

"Honey, what are you talking about?"

"My nightmares. It's the same thing that killed Nat. He had the same nightmares before he died. Sam and Dean know what it is, and they can help but you need to let them." The kid was pleading with his parents.

"I beg your pardon? Nat had the same dream?" Paul asked. His facial expression changed from shocked to worry to unbelief.

"Yes." Sam and Dean said in unison.

"Nat died of a heart attack." Paul said.

"Yes, and I don't want to die of a heart attack." Sam put a hand on Brian's shoulder.

"Listen, your son is in danger." Dean tried.

"He just had a nightmare. A lot of people have nightmares." Karen interjected.

"Do you want to bet your son's life on that? Dean asked.

"You people are crazy. I want you to leave right now." Karen said. The boys looked at each other. This lady would call the cops on them in a heartbeat. They couldn't risk that.

"His nightmares are gonna get worse. It'll be harder to pull him out of it with each night. On the sixth night, he'll have spasms and he'll start to convulse. You may be able to pull him from that but on the seventh his heart will stop." Sam said harshly. Dean pulled out his card and gave it to Brian. Then they left without a word.

Dean was angry at the kid's parents. Ignorant fucking people. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his blouse.

Sam looked at his brother. He could tell that his brother was angry, no livid. He didn't like it either but it wasn't like they could just force the parents to let them perform some kind of ritual on their kid. A ritual that wasn't completely without risks.

Dean got in the car and put in his Metallica tape and turned up the volume. Sam just sighed and got in. There was no way Sam could start a conversation with his brother over this. The next few hours were spent in silence in their motel room. They ate in silence. Sam was on his laptop trying to find an alternative way of getting rid of the Mirror Walker. Dean was zapping away but he couldn't stay in the room. He got up and grabbed his coat.

"I'm going out." Dean announced. And Sam knew this was coming. Dean couldn't deal. Not dealing was Dean's way of dealing, as weird as it may sound.

"You want company?" Sam asked, knowing his brother wanted to be alone right now.

"Nah. See you later." Dean said as he walked out. Sam sighed. He went back to his laptop but fifteen minutes later he closed the laptop. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. He glanced at the clock and hoped that his brother would stay out of trouble. Who was he kidding? Dean attracted trouble by just being Dean. Sam sighed and found an old black and white movie to watch.

-SPN-


	8. Trouble

-SPN-

Dean was back at the bar. He ordered a double and sat down. He looked around for Troy. He didn't even know what for. Dean threw back the whiskey and got up, he pulled out a few bills and was just about to leave when he spotted Troy. The kid looked at Dean and Dean nodded at the kid. Troy walked up to him and followed Dean outside.

"How are you doing, kid?" Troy shrugged.

"Do you know what happened to her?" Troy asked Dean. Dean had no idea what to answer. How do you tell a teenager that his sister was killed by something straight out of a horror movie?

"We know a little more but don't worry. We're working on it." Troy looked a bit confused. He lowered his gaze.

"You know who killed her." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah but it's..."

"I have a right to know. Please tell me?" Troy's tone was a mix between pleading and anger. It was a tone Dean was all but familiar with. A teenage Sam sprang to mind.

"I can't kid. You're better off not knowing." Dean said. Troy shoved Dean and Dean knew that it was the kid's emotions getting the better off him but still he had to try to not swing out. Despite Troy's age he wasn't a scrawny kid, he looked every bit the football player he was.

"Please." Troy took a swing and Dean saw it coming yet he made no move to block it. The fist collided with Dean's cheek. Though the punch didn't hurt, it would leave a visible mark. Dean simply wrapped his arms around the kid and Troy started sobbing. Dean must've stood there for a few minutes before the kid pushed him away.

"Sorry." The kid mumbled. He kept his head down, ashamed of his emotional outburst. He roughly wiped at his face.

"It's okay." Dean looked up and saw Carl standing there. He nodded at Dean, who, turned around and walked back to the motel. Leaving Troy behind with Carl.

-SPN-

Sam was still watching the black and white movie. He didn't expect Dean for a long time. His brother had only been gone for less than half an hour. He knew his brother was pissed at the Thompsons but there wasn't anything they could do. Sam sighed. He continued to watch the screen until he heard the door rattle. He jumped off the bed and grabbed his gun. He certainly did not expect his brother to casually walk into the room.

"Dean?" Dean turned around and saw Sam standing there with the gun aimed at him.

"Dude, seriously." Dean said as he removed his jacket.

Sam was standing perplexed. He looked at Dean again and put the safety back on the gun before he put it away.

"What the hell man? I thought you'd be gone a lot longer than this." Sam finally said. Dean turned to look at his brother with a suspicious frown.

"Why? Don't tell me you were watching porn cause dude, I told you before if you want to pleasure yourself, use the bathroom." Sam pulled a face.

"Ew, No. I wasn't watching porn but you've only been gone for like twenty minutes."

"Yeah well, I didn't feel like sitting at a bar." That earned Dean another frown from his brother. Said frown turned into worry once he got a glimpse of Dean's bruised cheek.

"Dude, what happened?" Dean touched his cheek.

"Nothing." Sam frowned.

"Eh Dean, nothing does not explain that bruise on your cheek." Sam was already walking up to Dean when his brother put a hand up to stop him.

"Dude, it's nothing." Sam was still looking worried at him.

"Dean, who did this?" Dean grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down on his bed.

"Let it go, Sam." Dean wearily said. He knew very well that his brother was like a dog with a bone and wouldn't let it go. Couldn't let it go. It was a Winchester thing.

"Dean." It was the same tone Sam used when he was younger and wanted something he couldn't have. Usually candy and Dean thought it was almost as bad as the puppy dog eyes.

"Fine. Troy took a swing."

"Troy?"

"Yeah, kid was upset. He wanted to know what killed his sister. I couldn't tell him. He got more upset and he took a swing."

"Why didn't you do something?"

"He's a kid, Sam. I wasn't going to take a swing at a kid. The kid's got nothing left." Sam sat down next to Dean.

"You told him?"

"Of course not. I'm not letting that kid go through that. Not on my watch." Sam just nodded. Dean looked at the TV.

"So, what are you watching?" Dean asked Sam. Sam recognized the diversion tactic but was happy to oblige.

"I dunno, some old movie." Sam got up and walked to his own bed.

"Yeah, I can see that." Dean said rolling his eyes. The two watched the movie in silence and before the movie ended Sam was asleep. Dean was halfway there when the phone rang. Dean fumbled with the phone before answering.

"Hello?" He looked at Sam and was surprised to see his brother still asleep.

 _"Please help him."_ Dean was wide awake now.

"Who's this?"

 _"Karen Thompson. Please, Brian, we couldn't wake him. His heart is beating so fast. Just help him. Please help my son."_

"We're on our way." Dean said as he got up. He hung up the phone and shook Sam.

"Sammy, we've got to go." Sam stared bleary eyes at his brother.

"Wha?"

"The Thompson's called. The kid's getting worse."

"Shit."

-SPN-

Uh-oh, sounds like Brian is in trouble. Will the boys be able to help him or does this spell trouble for the brothers?

Thanks for reading!


	9. The Winchester way

-SPN-

Fifteen minutes later the boys arrived at the Thompson's. Before Dean could knock the front door swung open.

Without a word, Sam and Dean rushed upstairs.

"Please." Karen said. Brian was sitting on the bed with his mother's arms around him. The kid was pale, sweating and shaking.

"Hey Brian. We're gonna help you." Dean said as he slowly approached the bed.

"What are you going to do?" Paul asked.

"Get rid of that evil son of a bitch. Alright geek boy, what do we need?" Dean said as he looked at Sam, who, took out the journal and opened it.

"Silver, candles and a mirror." Dean pulled out his knife.

"We've got the silver. Candles are in the trunk and well, we've got mirrors." Dean said as he pointed to the one in Brian's room and the other in the hallway.

"What do we need to do?" Paul asked.

"Get out and wait." Sam said. Both parents looked shocked. "Listen we can't do this with civilians around." Dean looked at his brother. Sam had never called people civilians.

"But."

"Listen, he is right. We can't do what we need to do if we keep worrying about you." The parents looked at each other and nodded reluctantly. They left the room and Dean followed them out to get the things out of the trunk, leaving Sam alone with Brian.

Dean went out to the truck and got the candles and silver ammunition and ran back up the stairs.

"I brought silver bullets as well." Sam nodded. He had stationed the mirrors across each other. They were both at least 7ft tall. Dean handed him the candles and Sam placed them around the bed and lit them.

"Alright, the only thing left is for you to go to sleep." The kid looked at Sam in terror. He shook his head.

"N-no." He stuttered.

"Brian, you need to listen. If we want to get rid of it, you need to go to sleep."

"But what if I die?"

"Hey none of that. We won't let anything happen to you." Brian looked terrified.

"Brian, this'll be the easiest way to get rid of it. We can do it while you're awake but it'll be much harder and more dangerous to get rid of it." Sam explained.

"Brian?" Dean asked.

"Okay, but what if I can't go to sleep?" The kid asked. Sam held up a bottle of pills.

"Take one and go to sleep and we'll take care of the rest, okay?" Brian nodded. He took the pill from Sam and put it on his tongue. Dean handed him the glass of water that was standing on the desk.

Brian laid down on the bed and looked at Sam and Dean.

"If something happens tell my mom and dad that I love them and please give my brother my necklace."

"Dude, nothing's going to happen." They sat around and waited for Brian's eyes to slip close and Dean looked at Sam.

"What now?" He asked his brother.

"Now I read the spell and we'll see his dream in the mirrors."

"And then?"

"Well, then we can kill it through the mirrors." Dean gave Sam and incredulous look.

"Dude, seriously?" Sam looked guiltily at Dean.

"Eh yeah, at least according to the lore." Dean wanted to say something but realized it wasn't Sam's fault that there was so little information about the damn things. He took a deep breath, filled his and Sam's gun with the silver bullets and then looked at his brother again.

"Why not use dream root?"

"Because we wouldn't be able to kill it. We would be in the dream but unable to do anything. According to the lore when the physical portal is open then it's vulnerable and able to die."

"So, we are going to open another realm, with some weird ass, evil son-of-a-bitch and hope we're able to gank it?"  
"No, we are going to gank this evil bitch and save this kid." Sam said. Dean rolled his eyes but couldn't help a smile from appearing on his face.

"Let's get to it then."

-SPN-

Sam read the incantation and Dean gripped the gun tighter. The mirrors started to shimmer and they could see Brian's dream.

"Now what?"

"We wait for the walker to appear."

"And then?"

"Well, I couldn't really find anything about that. One book said it had to become corporeal and another said that we could kill it while the portal is open."

"So we're guessing?" Sam shrugged. Dean rolled his eyes. Dad would've tanned their hides for this. They both kept a close look at the mirrors, waiting for anything to happen. Finally the mirrors shimmered.

They could see Brian's dream unfold into the nightmare. It was like a funhouse at the carnival. Mirrors everywhere. They could see Brian starting to panic. They looked at the boy on the bed. He was twitching and his breathing was loud and wheezy. He started whimpering and Dean could see that thing materialize. Brian screamed in his dream. That thing was getting closer to Brian and Dean fired a shot. It went straight through the mirror and hit the mirror walker. It hit center mass but nothing happened.

"Sam." Dean's tone was urgent and Sam had no idea how to help. It did shift focus from Brian to Dean. The walker edged closer to the mirror and it stepped out of the mirror just like Bloody Mary had done. Before either brother could react, it grabbed Dean and wrapped a hand around Dean's neck. Squeezing tightly.

"Dean!" Sam charged with the knife in clutched in his hand and had every intention of killing when the mirror walked thrust him back with one hand.

-SPN-

Dean was struggling. He tried to bring up his gun but at this point the lack of oxygen was getting to him and his limbs were beginning to feel heavy. From his peripheral vision, he could see Sam charge but the mirror walker thrust him back with one hand and Sam nearly flew over the bed. Of course, that was what gave Dean the extra incentive to fight even harder. He managed to lift his hand and fired one shot. It hit the thing in its side but it didn't go down. It shrieked, let out this roar and punched Dean in the face, a couple of times. Dean could feel the skin split open and he wondered what was going to happen to him. Was this the end?

Sam hit his head on the end table and was completely dazed. He couldn't focus and the he heard a shot and a loud roar. Dean. His brother must've hit the thing. Sam shook his head trying to clear the cobwebs. He could hear struggling and knew that it was still alive. Meaning Dean could be in trouble. Sam got up, swaying as he stood and looked in Dean's direction. His brother was clearly in trouble. There was blood all over Dean's face and it looked like his brother was barely conscious.

"DEAN!" Sam shouted. It startled the mirror walker and it started pulling Dean to the mirror. Shit, it was going to take Dean with him. Sam grabbed the knife. He had no direct line of fire. There must be something he could do.

Brian was confused. One minute he was dreaming that the creature was standing behind him and the next he was looking through the mirror and see those guys fight that thing. It had gotten a hold on Dean and it was pulling him towards the mirror. Brian was terrified. He closed his eyes but knew it would have no effect. He heard Sam shout something. He opened his eyes and saw that they were almost through the mirror.

Sam had to act now. He had no idea what would happen if that thing got Dean through the mirror. Dean was still struggling against the hold of the creature. Although the pressure was off his throat now he was still trying with all his might to get free. That thing packed a mean punch and Dean could feel the bruises already. In a ditch effort he elbowed the thing, its hold loosened for a fraction of a second but Dean was unable to pull away. They were almost through the portal. Dean had no idea how to get out of this major jam.

Sam was still holding on to the knife. For every step the creature took backwards Sam took one forward. Sam watched how Dean elbowed the thing. But its hold on Dean was relentless. It was already at the mirror and the creature was halfway through. Sam's heart was pounding so hard and fast that if one were to open his shirt he was sure that they could see it pound through his skin.

Dean could feel the hold on him tighten again. His vision started to dim around the edges. His eyes searched his brother and Dean shouted his brother's name. For what he didn't know but if he was going to die, he'd do it with his brother's name on his lips.

"SAM!." Sam did the only thing he could think off. He threw the knife. It hit it's mark. The knife was lodged in it's head, or what was supposed to be the head. It shrieked and Dean could feel it loosen its hold. Without thinking, Dean turned around, yanked the knife out and plunged it into its heart.

There was a piercing shriek, a bright white light and then nothing...

-SPN-

Well, I want to say sorry for the cliffhanger but I'm not really sorry. I'll try to update as soon as I can.

Thanks for reading.


	10. Not again

-SPN-

When Sam came to he was lying on the ground and covered in shards from the shattered mirrors. His head was pounding mercilessly. This definitely felt like a concussion. Not to mention the cuts and nicks he had from the shards. He had trouble remembering what happened. Dean. Sam scrambled to get up. Where was Dean? He was hit by a severe case of vertigo. He dropped to one knee and held his head. The vertigo subsided enough for Sam to raise his head.

"Dean?" Sam looked around the room and was appalled by what he saw. Dean was splayed out in front of the door. Bleeding profusely from numerous cuts. Sam actually saw a big piece of mirror sticking out and he felt instantly nauseous. His brother was pale and Sam wondered how long he was out. He was badly swaying but managed to make his way over to Dean. He was afraid to touch his brother. His hand shook when he felt for a pulse.

"Come on Dean. Please please." Sam kept up his litany of words. He finally felt something. It wasn't much but it was enough for Sam at the moment. Someone was pounding on the door and it wasn't until then that Sam realized his hearing was off. Sam turned to the bed and for some reason, Brian was still laying there. Asleep, unconscious or dead? Sam didn't know. But he knew he had to check.

"Brian." Sam made his way over to the kid. He tapped him a couple of times on the cheek but the kid remained unconscious. Help. He needed to get help for Dean. He stumbled to the door and moved Dean away from it. He swung it open and stumbled backwards, almost tripping over his unconscious brother.

"Oh my god, what happened here. Brian! Brian, are you okay?" Paul rushed to his son's side and looked for a sign of life. He was relieved to find it strong and steady yet his son wouldn't wake up. He looked at Sam and only then noticed that Dean was injured. Badly, if the blood was an indication. Sam wasn't looking so good either. There was blood running from his ear.

"Karen call an ambulance." Paul went to Sam. The kid was pale and appeared to be in shock or something. Paul shook him and Sam stared wide-eyed at Paul.

"Paul?" It was Karen, who was standing stock still and in shock.

"Sam, are you hurt?" Paul asked quietly. He gently put a hand on Sam's.

Sam blinked.

"Dean?"

"Your brother's hurt. We need to get him to a hospital." Paul wasn't sure if the kid heard him. Sam just stared at him.

"Sam." Sam could see Paul's lips move but the sound was all garbled. He squeezed his eyes to stave off another bout of dizziness.

-SPN-

Sam woke up in a hospital bed. His head was throbbing, he was nauseous and dizzy. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and then he realized that everything sounded muffled. He tried to remember what landed him here. Dean and him were working a job. Dean. Where was his brother? He looked around the room but there was no one there. He pressed the call button. He swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was hit by a wave of vertigo and he was clinging to the bed to keep him from falling down. He was startled by a pair of hands helping him on the bed again. He opened his eyes and looked straight into the worried brown eyes of a nurse.

"Are you okay?" She asked and Sam really had to focus on her words, cause for some reason he couldn't hear all that well.

"What's wrong with my ears?" Sam asked her. She started talking but his focus was on the doctor that entered the room.

"Where's my brother?" The doctor said something but Sam couldn't make it out. He was getting frustrated. Something must've shown cause the next thing Sam knew, a piece of paper was handed to him. He looked at the doctor. She pointed at the paper and Sam read what was on it.

"You've got a concussion and you've ruptured your eardrums. Your hearing is damaged. Though it's not permanent, it could be awhile before your hearing is back to 100 percent. In the meantime, we can give you a few tips that might make it a bit more bearable. We've scheduled an appointment with our ENT, later today. Do you understand?"

"Yes. What about my brother?" He looked at the doctor and saw her write something down.

"Well, I don't know." Sam read the words and it frustrated him.

"Is he alive?" He looked at the doctor and saw her give him the sympathy look.

"Sam, I'm going to do my best and find that out. Or better yet, I'll have my colleague explain what's going on with your brother."

"Thanks." Sam murmured.

"Now lie back and rest. That concussion is a nasty one. You need rest." Sam couldn't deny that he wasn't feeling all that good. But he was worried about Dean. How badly was his brother injured? Sam kept his eyes on the door. Ten minutes later he was rewarded with another white coat. She extended her hand and Sam shook it.

"My name is Dr. Lane. I'm in charge of your brother."

"How is he doing?" Doctor Lane wrote everything down for Sam and handed him the piece of paper.

"I'm not going to lie to you. Your brother's condition is critical. When he was brought in, he wasn't breathing and his heart stopped. We've lost him twice more on the table due to massive blood loss and shock. The shard that was inside your brother's body caused a tear on his spleen. We were able to repair the damage and he's been giving a transfusion to replace what he lost. The thing that worries me right now is the fact that he's still unconscious. There are signs of swelling in the brain. He's on a ventilator right now. His body received quite a lot of trauma and we're trying to relieve his body right now and that's why he's on a ventilator." Ally had written down on the piece of paper. Sam looked up from the piece of paper.

"Can I see him?" Sam gave her the puppy dog eyes. The doctor looked at Sam. It was obvious that he was quite worried about his brother.

"Let me guess, he's the older brother?" She murmured then wrote big brother on another piece of paper. Sam nodded, quickly regretting that action.

"He's all I have. He practically raised me. Please, I need to see him." Ally knew that there was no stopping him. This man was going to see his brother, one way or another. She looked at the man in the bed and made sure his focus was on her before she started speaking.

"On one condition. You ride a wheelchair and I'll let you stay for an hour." Sam understood most of it, just not all. Something about a wheelchair.

"Wheelchair is fine." Sam said.

"Okay, I'll tell a nurse to come and take you to your brother." Sam just looked at her as she left the room.

Ten minutes later Sam was wheeled into Dean's room. He audibly gasped when he saw his brother.

Dean's face was covered in cuts and nicks from the mirror shards as well as his arms. He also sported a couple of bruises on his face. Stitches above his eyebrow. He was on a ventilator and Sam's thoughts immediately went back to the car crash.

"Not again." Sam mumbled. He took a moment to compose himself before putting his hand atop of Dean's. The dull and muffled sounds around him gave the whole scene another dimension. After the crash he both hated and loved the sound of the vent. Simply because it meant that Dean was still alive. Now, the mechanical rise and fall of his brother's chest without the sound made it feel surreal. If he focused really hard he could hear the occasional _whish_ of the machine. But it made his head hurt more. He laid one hand on Dean's and softly murmured.

"I'm here Dean."

-SPN-

Yeah yeah, I know sappy Sam. But I love angsty Sam and I loooovvvveeee hurt Dean. Bloody, hurt Dean is my weakness. Jensen looks good with blood on his face. Rambling, sorry!

Thanks for reading hope y'all still enjoy this story. Sorry for the non-comatose Sam. At least I hurt him.


	11. The long wait

I haven't forgotten about you or this story. I just have not been doing great health wise. I've been sleeping quite a lot and not been having the energy to do anything else. So please accept my sincere apology.

Please remember that Sam's hearing is still off. The text written in bold is what is being written down for Sam. Sorry if it's confusing I just didn't know how else to write it.

No beta and not mine!

 **-SPN-**

When Sam woke up his neck was aching and the headache still very much here. He looked at Dean and was disappointed to see his brother still unconscious. He looked at the window and could see that it was dusky outside. He tried to remember when they were brought in but he came up empty. He ran a hand through his hair and winced at the sore spot he found at the back of his head.

A nurse walked in the room and smiled at Sam.

"How are you feeling? You've slept for a few hours." Sam had difficulty understanding the nurse. She talked way too fast for Sam to understand her. It must've shown on his face because she repeated the questions much slower this time.

"I'm fine." Sam answered. "How's my brother?" Sam asked as the nurse was checking Dean's bandages. She scribbled something on Dean's status.

"He seems stable. The doctor will be by in a few minutes." Sam just nodded. The nurse had no idea if Sam even understood what she said. She left and Sam sat there in quiet just staring at Dean. If it wasn't for the tube you'd think Dean was just sleeping though anyone who knew his brother would know the difference. Sam sighed. He massaged his neck. Hoping to somewhat alleviate the crick in his neck.

Doctor Lane entered the room and saw Sam massage his neck. When he looked up he looked straight into her eyes.

"Hi Sam, you're looking a bit better. Though, one piece of advice? Use a bed. Better for your neck and definitely better for your concussion. How's the headache by the way?" Sam had trouble figuring out what she said and he saw the doc write something down on a piece of paper.

"I'm fine." Sam said.

 **"Sure you are. How's your hearing?"**

"The same, I guess. How's my brother?"

" **Unfortunately, still unconscious. We are stumped. Though, I am impressed with how well his wounds are healing. I don't see a reason why your brother is still unconscious. Just keep talking to him and see if you can get a reaction from him. For now, I want to leave him on the endotracheal tube. We're going to clean the tube and bandages so I'm going to need you to step out for a minute.** " Sam looked unsure and wanted to protest. **"It's just for the cleaning procedure and the bandages. We'll call you when it's done. It's just for a few minutes."** The doctor could feel Sam's reluctance to leave his brother. Sam looked at Dean once more before he left the room.

 **-SPN-**

Sam was pacing out in the hallway. He couldn't wait for them to finish the procedure. He was so lost in thoughts that he didn't notice someone walking up to him until he ran into him. Sam looked up and was surprised to see Paul Thompson standing there.

"How's Brian?" Was the first question Sam asked. For a minute he felt guilty for not asking about the boy sooner but he had bigger issues to deal with.

"Still asleep or unconscious. They can't seem to find anything wrong with him. What about your brother?" Sam looked confused at Paul and Paul was concerned about his lack if response. He saw frustration on Sam's face and he didn't really know what to say. After a few moments Sam spoke.

"I can't hear you all that well. My eardrums are damaged." Sam said, frustration coloring his tone. Paul gave him a sympathetic smile. He didn't want to burden Sam much longer.

Paul made sure Sam was looking at him before he motioned to Sam that he was leaving. Sam watched Paul go. He immediately turned back to look at Dean's door.

 **-SPN-**

Two days later Sam was still sitting in Dean's room. He refused to move and eventually the doctors and nurses all backed off and put in a cot for Sam. He hardly used it. He usually stayed next to Dean with one hand atop of his brother's. He wanted to sign out AMA but the doctor told him that they wouldn't try to take him away from his brother. They had given him another hearing test and his left was healing faster than the right. But the sound was still muffled like he was under water and sometimes the sound intensified like when your ears pop open when you didn't even realized they were plugged in the first place. According to the ENT specialist this was a sign that the eardrums were healing. It felt uncomfortable and it made it hard to follow a conversation. Concentrating on conversations gave him headaches and he was prone to that. Especially with the concussion still messing with him.

He just came back from visiting Brian Thompson. He was being released today. He had been unconscious for a whole day. They couldn't find anything wrong with him. But since the kid slept for a whole day they were reluctant to release him when he woke up so they decided to keep him for another day and if everything was fine then he would be released. While Sam had taking his little excursion they finally extubated Dean. He was glad to see his brother off the vent but was disappointed that his brother was still not awake. He sat down on his chair and laid a hand atop of his brother.

Sam had fallen asleep and was awoken by someone shaken him gently. Sam opened his eyes and looked into a familiar face.

"Bobby?" Sam blinked and figured he wasn't dreaming since Bobby was still standing there when he opened his eyes.

"Hey kid. Got worried when I couldn't get ahold of you boys. Got a call from a someone. He told me about you boys." Sam wanted to tell Bobby that he hadn't heard a word the older hunter had said but was saved by Dean's doctor.

"Hello, can I help you?" The doctor asked Bobby.

"I'm their uncle. The name's Bobby. What's with Stretch?" Bobby asked pointing at Sam.

"Sam is suffering from temporarily hearing loss and a concussion."

"So I've been talking to a wall?" Ally laughed.

"Well no, Sam can hear but to him everything sounds muffled and with the bustling sounds of a hospital, most of the conversations gets lost and with the concussion he's not able to concentrate on anything longer for 5 minutes. If you want I can have his doctor come by and explain some more?" Bobby nodded.

"What about Dean?"

"Well, when he was brought in, he had a large shard in his abdomen. He was bleeding quite profusely. The shard caused a tear in his spleen. He bottomed out twice and he stopped breathing. There's minor swelling of the brain though not significant enough to render him unconscious for this long. We had him on a ventilator because of the surgery and the fact he stopped breathing. His breathing is pretty much back to normal. But we still can't figure out why he's still unconscious." Bobby sighed.

"How's Sam taking it?"

"He's been pretty much camped out in Dean's room since he woke up. We'd rather have him sleep in a real bed but he seems adamant in using that chair. It's not beneficial for him, especially not with that concussion but he's not making it easy." Ally told the older man.

"Sam's stubborn on a good day but when Dean gets hurt, he becomes nearly impossible." Bobby said. Ally smiled. She could see that. She glanced at Sam and was not surprised to see him staring at Dean. Bobby followed her line of sight and shook his head.

"I'll have Sam's doctor come and find you."

"Thank you."

Ally went back inside Dean's room and not even thirty seconds later she came back out leaving the door open so Sam could get in. The nurses were covering his brother back up with the blanket and Sam noticed they had changed the bandages. Dean was still too pale and too still. Sam really wanted his brother awake. He sat down on the chair next to Dean's bed. He could feel Bobby's presence and it felt comforting. He knew the doctor had been talking to Bobby but he was grateful that the older hunter hadn't said much about their condition and Sam silently thanked Bobby for that.

 **-SPN-**

Not much Dean in this chapter and a surprise visitor. Again I'm terribly sorry for the long wait.

I hope someone is still interested in this story.


	12. Don't stop believing

Good to know some of ya are still interested in this story ^^. More deaf/hard of hearing Sam and finally a conscious Dean.

-SPN-

Bobby could tell that Sam had hardly slept. That was his first task. Getting the kid to sleep. He put a hand on Sam's chin forcing him to look at Bobby.

"Bobby, how did you get here?" Sam asked. Bobby frowned. He had just told the kid the 411. He figured it was either the ears or the concussion.

"I called your phones. Neither of you answered and then I got a call from someone and he told me you boys were in the hospital. And here I am. You understand?" Bobby asked Sam. Eventually Sam shook his head. He was frustrated with his hearing. Bobby wrote everything he said down and Sam frowned.

"So who called you?" Sam asked.

 **"Dunno, didn't catch a name."** He could see Sam staring at his brother. He didn't like the sunken eyes or the paleness of his skin. He had to get Sam something to eat and then sleep. Because when Dean wakes up he's going to be all over him about why his little brother looks like crap.

 **"He's gonna be fine, Sam."** And Bobby truly believed that. Sure, all Winchesters were stubborn but Dean had that overriding big brother protectiveness that wouldn't let him die. Not without a fight.

"Yeah." Sam said dejectedly.

 **"Don't worry. Right now, I want you to take a nap. You look like you're gonna collapse."** Sam started to protest but Bobby just looked at him and said the only thing that would make him comply.

 **"What would Dean tell you?"** Sam dropped his head. Bobby was right. Bobby helped him to the cot. His intense gaze pierced Bobby's soul.

 **"I know, if your brother as much twitches I'll wake you up."** Sam nodded. Within minutes Sam was asleep. Idjits.

-SPN-

Bobby was sitting on the chair previously occupied by Sam. He didn't know who worried him more. Dean looked worse for wear but Sam... Sam looked utterly exhausted and there was this look in his eyes that Bobby didn't like. Sam was at the end of his rope. Dark smudges under his eyes and the paleness to match his brother's. The kid needed Dean just like Dean needed Sam. He looked at Sam. He was finally asleep. Bobby didn't think he'd slept for those two days. Also the fact that Sam's hearing was screwed six way from friday

"You idjit better wake up because your brother can't take much more." Bobby said to Dean. He knew that Sam would never forgive him if he fell asleep now. He had to do a little research for another hunter and what better way to spend time waiting in a hospital.

Four hours later Sam woke up. He had to admit that he felt a bit better. That ever-persistent headache was down to a dull throbbing. He glanced around and saw that not much has changed since his nap. Bobby was sitting, reading some book and Dean, well big brother was still MIA. Sam sighed. He needed Dean to wake up. He looked at Bobby. He wanted to ask if something happen yet he already knew what he would say.

"I've got a sandwich and juice for ya." Bobby said looking at Sam while pointing at it. Sam got up and walked to where Bobby was sitting. Bobby handed him the sandwich.

"Anything happen?" Sam asked as he took the sandwich. He wasn't hungry but he knew Bobby would kill him if he didn't eat something.

"The whole thing Sam." But Sam didn't hear him.

After he ate half of the sandwich he sat down next to Dean.

"Why won't he wake up, Bobby?"

 **"I don't know, kid but don't give up on yer brother."** Sam put his hand atop of Dean's. **"The doctor came by. She said that Dean's vitals are better. No signs of infection. They want to take him off the ventilator."** Sam perked up at that.

"Did she say when Dean will wake up?" Sam asked.

 **"Nah, he said that Dean would wake up when he's ready."**  
"That's bullshit." Sam said. Bobby gave him the look and Sam sighed.

"I'm sorry, Bobby." Sam hung his head. The dull throbbing now again a persistent thrum.

 **"I know Sam. Take it easy, boy."** Bobby could tell that Sam had a headache. He also knew that as long as Dean was unconscious, Sam wasn't going to take care of himself. Boy was smart as hell but unable to take care of himself when something happened to his brother. He would digress back to a little boy who needed to be told what to do.

"Bobby?" Bobby looked at Sam and could see the younger Winchester staring at him.

"Yeah?"

"Why does Dean always end up getting hurt?" It was a question that had bugged Sam since he was sixteen. Because somehow his brother always ended up with some form of injury. Nothing life threatening but you know a cut here, bruise there.

"Cause yer brother's an idjit." Bobby muttered, knowing Sam couldn't hear him. **"Listen Sam, I have to make a phone call. I won't be long. Try to get some more rest."** Sam just nodded and Bobby left. Sam closed his eyes for a second and automatically started massaging his temples.

Ally Lane entered Dean's room and could see Sam massage his temples. She sighed. Her patient's brother was not doing so well and she wondered if it would change once her patient woke up. She gently tapped Sam on the shoulder. He immediately tensed and looked up.

"Dr. Lane?" A small smile crept on his face though if Ally was being honest it could've been a grimace as well. She took out her pad and wrote something down.

 **"Hi Sam, I don't know if your uncle told you but I want to take your brother off the ventilator."**

"Yeah, he told me. Are you going to do that now?" Ally nodded and wrote something else down.

 **"You are going to have to step out while we extubate your brother. It will only be for a minute."** Sam reluctantly left the room but not before casting another glance at Dean.

-SPN-

Out on the hallway, Sam was pacing back and forth. What was taking them so long? He kept his eyes on the door and the second he saw movement he was standing in front of the door, startling the doctor. She quickly scribbled something on her pad.

 **"Your brother sure is a fighter."** The doctor wrote down as Sam hurried back inside. She saw how he immediately sought physical contact with his brother. She handed him the note and left the room.

"I'm here Dean." Sam said as he squeezed Dean's hand. He fell asleep like that.

When Bobby came back he had to smile at the sight before him. He was relieved to see Dean without the ventilator. Sam was asleep with his hand atop of Dean's. Dean's pallor was a bit better. Not so pale.

"Hey you idjit better wake up." Bobby sat there watching the boys he'd come to love as sons. When he first met them, he didn't know what to think of them. Dean was just a little boy and Sam barely a toddler. And then Dean surprised him with the way he took care of his brother and father and Bobby couldn't deny the feeling that blossomed up inside him. Dean was the one who melted that clump of ice around his heart. He and Karen never had kids 'cause he was too afraid. Afraid to turn into his father. These two proved him wrong. They had wormed their way in to his heart. Dean may have started the meltdown but it was the both of them that made him feel what he felt now. Bobby sat there for an hour before he got restless.

"Stubborn idjit. Yer lucky yer unconscious or I'd smack you one." Bobby couldn't handle this anymore. He looked at Sam and was glad to see the boy still asleep. God knew he needed it. And then the most beautiful thing happened. Dean moved his head towards Sam. Bobby nudged Sam and Sam opened his eyes at the same time Dean did.

"Dean." Sam was met with the most amazing sight ever. He looked straight into those green eyes, those familiar green eyes that always seemed able to comfort him. Sam smiled.

"S'm." Dean's voice was hoarse and Bobby actually winced. Bobby poured him a cup and handed it to Sam.

"Easy." Sam coached Dean as Dean took a few sips.

"Sam." Sam could easily read his brother's lip knowing, it would always be the first thing on his brother's lip.

"Man, it's good to see you again." Sam said with a smile.

"Wha'?" Dean looked confused from Sam to Bobby.

"Later Dean. First the doc is going to check you out." Sam looked at Bobby. Dean just looked at Sam.

"Are you in pain?" Sam asked Dean. Dean had to think about that question. Nope, he was on the good stuff. Before Dean could answer the doctor walked in.

"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to join us. How are you feeling?" The doctor started her exam. Dean's abdomen was pretty sensitive and that illicit a groan from the elder Winchester.

"Sorry." Ally continued her examination and was impressed. This man either had a very high pain threshold or he was really healing faster than she'd ever seen.

"Your abdomen is still pretty tender. Try not to move too much and you won't be getting up without help. That is if you want to burst those stitches and be in here much longer. Is there anything I can do for you?" The doctor asked Dean.

"Nuh, 's good." Dean's speech was still slurred and Sam could see that his brother was well on his way to dream-land. The doctor watched the interaction between the two. Her patient was valiantly staving off sleep until Sam squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Dean." It wasn't until then that Dean closed his eyes and gave into the sleep.

"Is he always like this?" Ally asked.

"Like what?" Bobby asked.

"Stubborn." Bobby laughed and Sam looked confused from the doctor to Bobby.

"You have no idea. It's going to be hard, getting him to stay in the hospital." Bobby said.

 **"Well, he's nowhere near fine. The wound to his abdomen is looking a bit raw. I'm going to prescribe other antibiotics."** The doctor said while writing it down for Sam.  
"Is the wound infected?" Sam asked.

 **"No, he's not feverish but the wound doesn't look too good. I say it's well on its way to become infected. Hopefully we are able to nip this thing in the bud."** She looked at Sam. He was still too pale and those smudges under his eyes, suggested that he hadn't been sleeping all that much.

"Is there anything we can do?" Bobby asked.

"You can make sure Sam has more than a couple of hours' sleep. How's his hearing?" The doctor asked as she pointed at Sam.

"A bit better. Though a lot of times he can't follow the whole conversation. His right ear is still screwed from what I can tell. What did the audiologist said?" Bobby asked.  
"Give it time." Ally said.

"You do realize that I'm not deaf, it's just muffled. Like I'm under water, with cotton stuffed in my ears." Sam said indignantly. Though he only caught a small bit of the conversation. He knew he nailed it. Ally just nodded and wrote something else down.

 **"You should get some more sleep. Dean will be sleeping a lot, so you might as well follow his example and do the same. If all goes well, we'll probably move him down to the regular ward."** Sam nodded and followed the doctor's advice. He laid down on the cot and just like his brother, he fell asleep shortly after he closed his eyes.

"Stubborn idjits." Bobby muttered. The doctor smiled.

"I'll come by later this afternoon." Bobby nodded and watched the doctor leave. He sat down on the chair and looked at Dean.

"Good to have ye back, son." Bobby whispered and he too followed example and fell asleep.

-SPN-

Whoo another chapter. Dean's awake. Sam is still having hearing problems. And the whumping isn't quite over yet ;)

Thanks for reading :)


	13. Stubborn brothers

-SPN-

 _A few days later_

Dean hated this. He was too weak to even shift on the bed. Every movement hurt and he cussed up a storm when he accidentally popped a stitch trying to get up. It led to a heated argument with Sam, Bobby and the doctor. He understood that Sam was scared but he needed to get out of the hospital asap. The sooner he was able to get up on his own, the sooner he'd be out of here. At least that was his reasoning. No one else shared that same reasoning. He even had to endure the Thompson's visit.

 _Yesterday_

 _"Dean, you up for a few visitors?" Sam asked his brother. Dean was still a bit pale and in pain but the Thompson had been bugging him ever since Brian was discharged from the hospital._

 _"Not really Sam. Just tell them we'll be by when I'm released."_

 _"Dean, they were really worried about you. And they genuinely are interested about your wellbeing. Paul also insisted on paying the hospital bills."_

 _"I'm not a charity case." Dean said._

 _"I know but we could use it, Dean. We pretty much maxed out all our cards." Dean knew this. He knew this. But the thought of him being a charity case always put him on edge. Too many bad memories._

 _"If it makes you feel good, we'll pay them back." Dean nodded. Dean looked at his little brother and sighed. Kid still looked way too pale for his liking and he knew that Sam's hearing was still acting up. It was fine when there weren't too many people around and little too no background noise. But since Dean was still stuck in the hospital, background noise was a given. On more than one occasion Bobby and Dean had seen Sam zone out. Dean's concussion was pretty much non-existent. And boy was he thankful for that._

 _"Dean?"_

 _"Yeah whatever."_

 _"I'll go get the Thompsons." Dean rolled his eyes. Dean watched Sam leave the room. He couldn't but help notice that his brother had problems with his equilibrium. He was worried about Sam._

 _"Stop thinking so damn loud. Yer brother's fine. It's just the vertigo messing with him."_

 _"What the hell man?"_

 _"Boy, I called you a dozen times. Where did Sam go?"_

 _"He went to get me visitors." Dean said._

 _"The family you guys helped?"_

 _"Yeah, apparently they would like to thank us or something. Pay the medical bills and stuff."_

 _"Well that's something." Dean snorted. Bobby knew the kid hated to be treated like a charity case._

 _"It's nice. They don't have to do it." He looked at Bobby, or more specifically, the bag in Bobby's hand._

 _"Tell me you brought me some real food?" Dean said whilst eyeing the bag. Bobby smiled._

 _"Yeah, I brought you something."_

 _"And coffee?"_

 _"No coffee." Dean's face fell and Bobby could've sworn that the kid was pouting. Bobby pulled out the pancakes and handed them to Dean. Dean smiled widely when he saw the bacon._

 _"Bobby, you're awesome." Dean said as he dug in. Bobby could only smile. He was happy that Dean was looking a lot better. Bruises had faded and his color was almost back to normal. Dean practically inhaled the meal. By the time he was finished, Sam arrived with the Thompsons._

 _"We can't even begin to express our thanks. You saved his life." Karen said. Dean shrugged._

 _"It's our job." Dean said and Bobby knew that it was what Dean truly believed._

 _"That maybe so but we are eternally grateful for what you did. We can't ever repay you for what you did. We told Sam that we'll pay for any medical expenses and we'd like to give you this." Karen handed Dean an envelope._

 _"It's not much but it's the least we can do." Dean pulled out the check._

 _"We can't accept this." Dean immediately said._

 _"Please we insist. Without you, Brian wouldn't be here anymore. Nothing could ever replace our son." Dean was baffled. Sam took the check. 5000 dollars. Holy crap, Sam thought. They could live on this for at least a couple of months. Although they really needed to stock up on silver bullets again and regular munition. But Dean was right. They couldn't accept this._

 _"My brother's right, we can't accept this."_

 _"No, you have to. Please, we insist." Karen said. Sam looked at Dean. Dean looked at Bobby, who shrugged._

 _"Fine, we'll take it but you don't have to pay for the medical bills."_

 _"Also non-negotiable. We mean it. We can never repay you. You saved our son. Nothing we do could ever top that." Paul said. Dean looked at Brian. The kid was looking at him._

 _"Hey could you guys give me a few minutes alone with Brian?" Dean asked the Thompson's._

 _"Eh, yeah sure. We'll be right out on the hallway." Paul told Brian. Dean looked at Bobby and Bobby nodded._

 _'I'll join ya." Dean was left with Brian and Sam, both were looking at him expectantly._

 _"How are you doing, kid?" Dean asked Brian._

 _"I'm good. No nightmares."_

 _"That's good to hear."_

 _"I do have one question. What happened after I fell asleep? I mean, I saw you guys but I thought that was also a dream. But it wasn't, was it?"_

 _"No, that really happened. We opened the portal and we were able to gank it through the portal."_

 _"But it had you. It almost took you. And I don't understand what happened after that. I was still dreaming but you weren't there. My parents said that I was asleep for a whole day."  
"Do you remember anything from that?" Dean asked and Sam was trying to follow the conversation. It took him a lot to focus on what was being said. So much so that it brought on another headache. He was relieved Dean hadn't noticed it. Brian thought about it. _

_"Just a lot of darkness. Felt like I was drowning in sadness or something. But then I heard my mom and I followed her voice." Dean just nodded and Sam looked at Dean. His brother had been trapped in some weird dream. That explained why he wouldn't wake up. He simply couldn't._

 _"Sam, go get Bobby and his parents." It took a second before Sam understood what was being said. He had been so focused on the kid. Dean nudged Sam and repeated it. Sam nodded and did what Dean asked him too._

 _"You had the same thing, didn't you?" Brian said once Sam was out of the room._

 _"Yeah, it took me a little bit longer to find the exit." Dean admitted._

 _"But you did." Dean smirked._

 _"Of course I did. Stay out of trouble, kid." Brian smiled._

 _"Can't promise that."  
"Just stay away from haunted places and Ouija boards." _

_"Trust me, I believe in everything. So you don't have to tell me that twice." Sam returned with the Thompsons and Bobby. Bobby handed Brian a dreamcatcher._

 _"It can help." Was all the older hunter said._

 _"Thank you."_

 _"Take care Dean." Paul said. Karen gave her son a hug._

 _"Thanks again." Karen said as the Thompson's left the room._

"Dean?" Dean looked up straight into Sam's worried hazel eyes.

"What's up Sammy?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Where's Bobby?"  
"He had to run back to the motel. Do some research for another hunter. He'd be back later. Bring some food as well."

"Tell him to bring me a double cheeseburger, extra onions and bacon." Sam rolled his eyes.

"Dude. You really want to do that to the nurses?" Sam asked.

"It's not like they're hot, Sammy."

"It's Sam. But the doc is." The minute it left Sam's mouth he cringed. Dean gave him a wicked grin.

"Sammy's hot for the doc."

"Shut up. I didn't say that." Sam was blushing. So yeah maybe he liked Dean's doctor.

"It's not like I'm going to be here much longer maybe you can get a cup of coffee together. If you get my drill." Sam rolled his eyes.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes Samantha, I could ask you the same thing. You're not looking so hot either." Dean knew he'd gone too far when he saw the hurt on Sam's face.

"You know what you're a jerk." Sam said as he quickly tried to leave the room. Of course the vertigo chose that moment to roar its ugly head. Without any kind of support Sam fell to the ground.

"Sammy!" Dean quickly got up, forgetting all about his own injuries. He ripped out the IV and tried to make his way over to Sam. The movement tugged on his stitches and he bit back a groan. He reached down to help Sam and promptly fell over and landed on the ground.

Sam sat dazed on the floor. He wasn't sure what had happened but it wasn't good. His head was throbbing mercilessly and then he heard someone groan and looked over to his right only to see Dean.

"Dean, what's going on?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing?"

"What?"

"You fell, Sammy." Sam looked utterly confused and he felt bone tired. Dean looked at Sam. Kid looked ready to pass out.

"Whaddaya say Sammy, let's get our assess of the ground." But Sam chose that moment to pass out. He sagged boneless against Dean. The weight was too much for Dean and he felt something pop. There goes another stitch.

"Crap." Dean cursed as he was forced to hold up Sam. "Not helping, gigantor." Dean had trouble laying Sam down. His injuries were making it hard for Dean to move around as he would like. He gently laid Sam's head on the floor. His strength was rapidly waning and Dean wondered if he would be able to muster enough strength to call for help.

"Help, I need help in here!" Dean bellowed. Several nurses busted in.

"What happened?" One of them asked.

"He got dizzy or something." Dean grimaced as they relieved him of Sam's weight.

"Did he say anything?"

"Yeah but he was confused. What's wrong with him?"

"We don't know yet but we'll take care of him. Let's get you back to bed." Dean looked at Sam.

"No, how's my brother. I need to look after him." Dean was weakly struggling against the orderlies.

"Oh my, you're bleeding." Dean looked down and saw the blood. It wasn't that bad. He focused on Sam again. Worry for his little brother overrode everything. Dean was hit with how bad his little brother looked. He was pale and had dark smudges under his eyes. How could he have missed this? Dean felt terrible. He was supposed to look after Sam.

-SPN-

"Dean?" Bobby was worried about him. Bobby had been trying to get his attention for the past ten minutes. Bobby gently laid a hand on Dean's shoulder. It startled Dean. He looked at Bobby rather confused.

"Bobby?"

"What happened?" Dean looked at Bobby. Bobby could see and feel the guilt coming of the hunter in waves.

"Where's Sam?" Dean made a move but was stopped by Bobby.

"Easy kid."

"Where's Sam? Is he okay?"

"They are still running a few tests. Don't try anything stupid cause they were one step away of sedating you."

"Then find out what's wrong with Sam."

"You better watch your tone boy." Dean rubbed his forehead.

"I'm sorry. Just.. Bobby could you find out." Dean said as he hung his head. Bobby put a hand on Dean's shoulder and wasn't surprised when the hunter shrugged him off. He had already talked to one of the nurses. He just wanted to know if Dean was able to recall something else. The older Winchester also popped two stitches, again. Bobby nodded.

"I'll ask again." Before Bobby could make a move the doctor walked in.

"How's my brother?" Dean asked.

"Resting. Your brother is one stubborn man. Do you know when's the last time he ate something?" Dean furrowed his brows. No, he couldn't remember cause he hadn't seen Sam eat anything. He had brought Dean a burger yesterday but nothing for himself.

"Your brother was a bit malnourished, dehydrated and exhausted, in combination with the concussion you get this result. We've given him a light sedative. We've also hooked him up to an IV with electrolytes. Give him some fluids."

"I want to see him."

"Not going to happen. Your brother needs to rest."

"Listen sir, you're not going to keep me away from my brother. Now, are you going to make it easy or would you prefer the hard way?" Dean's eyes were spouting fire and his posture was rigid. Coiled to attack at any moment. Bobby saw all the signs and decided to try and diffuse the situation before it got worse.

"Doc, I know you think you're doing the right thing but trust me it's not. He'll go and do something stupid because his whole life he looked after that kid. He's not going to stop 'cause you think it's better." The Doctor looked Bobby and contemplated his words.

"I'll talk to your doctor." Dean pressed the call button. The doctor looked confused at Dean. A nurse came in.

"You pressed the call button?"

"Yeah, I need a wheelchair and the doctor." The nurse just nodded and left.

"You are only going to prolong your stay here if you continue to disregard the doctor's advice." The doctor said.

"Yeah well I wasn't planning on staying here much longer." Doctor Lane came in. Before she could voice her questions, Dean was on her.

"I need to see my brother so clear whatever you need to clear." The doctor stared at Dean.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ally asked.

"His brother collapsed and has been admitted as well."

"Is Sam, okay?" She asked her colleague.

"Yes exhaustion, concussion. Nothing rest and decent meals won't fix."

"Hey are you going to bring me to my brother or am I gonna have to find him myself." Dean was agitated and worried. Not a good combination. Bobby knew he wouldn't be able to soothe Dean's worry until he saw Sam with his own eyes. The doctors exchanged a look but no one said anything. They helped Dean into the wheelchair and he was taken to Sam's room. Bobby hung back and talked to the doctor while Dean stayed with his brother.

Dean gave Sam the one over. His little brother was pale and Dean kicked himself for not noticing it sooner. Bobby walked into the room and looked at Dean's posture. He could see the guilt weighing heavy on the kid.

"Don't beat yourself up. He was worried about you."

"Still. It's my job to look after him.

"And you do Dean, but you're injured." Bobby knew it wasn't the right thing to say and his suspicions were confirmed when Dean looked at him.

"Where were you? You should have been looking out for him."

"Lose the attitude Dean. You Winchesters are stubborn on a normal day and when one of ya is injured yer even worse. I've told Sam on numerous occasions to eat and sleep but he's a grown man. I can't force him. Just as I can't force you to go back to your room. You ain't kids anymore. Sam isn't a kid anymore." Dean huffed.

"But he's still my little brother." Bobby chuckled.

"Not so little. The kid's like an overgrown Sasquatch." Dean smiled but it was a sad smile. He laid his head on Sam's bed, next to Sam's hand. He was hurting and just feeling crappy in general. Bobby recognized the signs but he didn't have the heart of mentioning something to Dean. He kept quiet and watched how Dean succumbed to the exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep. Not sure whether or not he ought to say something. He leaned back and told himself that he would wake Dean up in bit.

-SPN-

Hope you like it! Told ya I wasn't done with the whumping :)


	14. Battle of The Winchesters

Thanks for the lovely reviews for the last few chapters. I don't think I replied to any of you but they are much appreciated!

-SPN-

Sam was sleeping. And not just the restless, worrying, short sleep he'd been getting for the past years but the healthy, deep, invigorating sleep. He dreamed of dreams long forgotten. People long gone. Sam had forgotten how it felt like. He dreamed of Jess and their time together and for the first time in a very long time it didn't turn into a nightmare. Sam wasn't stupid. He knew it was all a dream but unlike before he wanted to sleep a little longer. Hold on to her memory a little longer. Though something niggled in the back of his head, he decided to ignore it. Just for a little while. Sam let out a soft sigh.

Bobby watched both boys and noticed Sam let out a sigh and fell into a deeper sleep. Dean on the other hand wasn't experiencing the restful sleep like Sam. How could he? The position he was in was anything but comfortable. On occasion Dean would twitch and let out a whimper. Bobby knew he had to wake him up. That choice was taken away when Dean startled awake.

"Dean?" Dean was breathing heavily and had squeezed his eyes shut. He opened his eyes and looked at Sam.

"Dean?" Bobby laid a hand on Dean's shoulder

"Bobby."

"You okay?" Dean looked at Bobby and nodded. Afraid that if he would actually tell the man that he felt like roadkill ran over twice, the older man would actually call the doctor and have him shot up with a heavy sedative and some very nice painkillers. But he couldn't let Bobby do that. He took a deep breath, trying to hide the wince and looked the man in the eye.

"I'm good. Sam?"

"Still asleep. I think it's time for you to go back to your room and do the same." But Dean shook his head.

"Dean."

"No Bobby, I'm not leaving him." Bobby sighed and prepared himself for the mental warfare he was about to enter. He could see Dean do the same. It wasn't their first rodeo nor would it be their last. Winchesters were stubborn by nature.

"You won't have to." Someone said behind him. Dean turned around and saw Sam's doctor standing there.

"What?"

"We've talked it over and it would be in your best interest to stay in bed and let your body heal but since you refuse to, we've decided to put you in the same room. So, are you going to come quietly or are you going to throw another fit?" The doctor asked as he looked Dean in the eyes.

"How long?"

"How long what?" The doctor asked.

"How long until Sam is in the same room as him?" Bobby clarified.

"Ten minutes. We've readied your room. Now, we just have to move your brother." Dean looked at Bobby.

"Come on. The sooner you get to your room, the sooner Sam'll be there." Dean nodded and cast one more glance at his brother before Bobby wheeled him back to his room.-SPN-

Dean was lying in his bed. The pain medication was coursing through his body and Dean was sure they had slipped him a sedative as well but he kept fighting the pull of sleep. He was too stubborn to give into whatever was coursing through his system. Worry for Sam always overrode everything else. And though there was nothing to indicate that his brother was in trouble, Dean still couldn't relinquish control. He desperately wanted Sam awake but he was also content to watch his little brother sleep. It has been such a long time since Sam had sleep like this.

"Stop worrying Dean. I can hear your thoughts over here and it's driving me nuts." Dean looked at Bobby.

"What?" The older brother looked innocently at the older hunter.

"Get some sleep, Dean. I'll wake you up when Sam wakes up." Dean wanted to object but he trusted Bobby. Always trusted Bobby.

"Okay. You're a good man Bobby." Dean said. He closed his eyes and was out in record time.

Bobby settled in the chair and kept watch over his boys. In the end, Bobby nodded off as well. It was early in the morning when Bobby woke up. He looked at Sam and saw that he was still out. When he looked over to Dean's bed he thought he was going to have a heart attack. Dean's bed was empty. He looked to the bathroom and noticed that the light was on. Yet it didn't ease his worry. He got up and knocked on the door.

"Dean, you okay in there?" He frowned when he didn't receive some snarky answer. He knocked again and when he didn't receive yet an answer he opened the door. There, on the floor, was Dean. Bobby hurried to his side. He was relieved when Dean opened his eyes.

"Dean, what happened?" Dean blinked owlishly at Bobby.

"Drugs." Dean answered eventually. Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Come on ya idjit." Bobby helped Dean back to bed. Dean immediately turned to look at Sam. His not-so-little little brother was still sleeping and Dean hoped his brother would wake up now. Despite being in the hospital it did nothing to ease Dean's worries.

Sam stirred. The heavy pull of sleep was comforting yet something was niggling in the back of his mind.

Dean had been watching Sam ever since Bobby had helped him back to the bed. He saw the twitching of his brother's hand and the fluttering of his eyelids. His brother was close to waking and Dean decided to give his brother the extra nudge.

"Sammy." Sam heard his name. Only one person could say it like that. Dean. His brother. His protector. He turned his head towards the voice of his brother.

"Sam?" Dean was watching his brother closely and he could see that Sam was close to waking up.

Sam opened his eyes and was confused. He tilted his head and looked at Dean. He frowned and then realization dawned on him.

Dean could see the moment Sam connected all the dots.

"Easy Sammy. You're fine. I'm fine. You just needed a break. Everything is fine. You should rest some more cause you still look like crap." Sam snorted and Dean smiled.

"Have you looked at yourself lately. You still look like roadkill." Dean just smiled. It felt good seeing his brother awake and more like himself. He was also glad the doctors had placed him on the left side of Sam since he didn't know how much Sam could hear with his right ear. He would have to ask his brother and his doctor about that. Later Dean thought as he glanced at Sam again.

"Will you two idjits just shut up and go to sleep already. Next thing you know y'all be growing lady parts and braiding each other's hair." Both boys laughed and closed their eyes. Dean had been fighting the sedatives for a long time and it came as no surprise to Bobby that he was out in a matter of seconds. Sam opened his eyes and stared at his brother a little longer.

"He was worried and didn't really allow himself to fully rest until you woke up. He's fine Sam. Get some more rest and we'll talk when you wake up." Bobby said to Sam. Sam just nodded and closed his eyes.

-SPN-

A few hours later both Sam and Dean were in a heated argument with each other.

"You passed out. They had to run an IV cause you didn't take of yourself."

"It wasn't like that."

"Dammit Sam. Stop being a stubborn jerk."

"Well excuse me for caring."

"Stop twisting my words. You know damn well that it's not the caring part I have a problem with."

"Whatever. I'm fine now." Sam said exasperated. Dean wanted to clock his brother right there and then.

"Will ya both shut your cake holes. Both of you ain't going nowhere." Both looked ready to object when Bobby gave them a stern look. He looked at Dean.

"You popped two stitches. And." He said as he pointed at Sam. "You, you can barely stand on your own two feet. Not to mention dehydration and malnourishment." At least Sam had the decency too look ashamed while Dean glared at the both of them. After a few moments both brothers conceded and sighed.

"Fine." Both said at the same time. Bobby rolled his eyes. Idjits. These boys were going to be the death of him. Finally, Bobby got them calm enough to explain what the heck was going on between the two.

Apparently both doctors had been by, and though Sam was feeling a lot better the doctor wanted to keep him a day longer. His bouts of vertigo were still worrying the doctor. And the doctor wanted to do a few tests on Sam's hearing. Dean's doctor had told him that he would be released in two days. Dean was a bit unhappy about that. He just wanted to get out, go to Bobby's and recuperate there. Work on Baby, drink a few cold ones and just enjoy being able to go where he wanted.

That explained why both boys were sulking and Bobby wanted to clip them both on the back of their head. He would've if both of them weren't suffering from concussions. The older man did not look forward to spending more time with them in the hospital. He prayed for a quick fix and an even sooner release. Not sure how much more he could take without shooting himself in the head.

-SPN-

Hope you like this chapter.

Thank you for reading!


	15. Easy riders

Okay so this took way longer to finish then anticipated. It was as good finished but then I read it again and started tweaking, and tweaking...and tweaking. But it's finally finished.

Hope you'll enjoy this final chapter.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing or just reading!

-SPN-

When Sam was taken for tests, they took Dean as well. The oldest Winchester was healing nicely and the stitches, except the new ones, would come out in 2 days. Sam's ears were healing alright. The vertigo, was caused by the ruptured eardrums and subsequent knock to the head.  
The rest of the morning and afternoon went by without any problems. Sam ate all his meals and Dean bitched about the food. Bobby couldn't blame Dean, the kid had been in here longer than he usually would've. He decided to bring the kid a good meal, which, in terms of Dean, meant something greasy. Clearing it with the doc first, of course. She had no problems with the breakfast Bobby brought but was more reluctant about Bobby bringing in a double bacon cheeseburger with extra onions. She reluctantly agreed because dealing with a whining and pouting Dean was proving to be more than the nurses could handle. She had been receiving complaints from the nurses and they couldn't wait for the older Winchester to get out of their hairs.

Bobby also found out that despite Sam's hearing healing nicely, the kid would be prone to ear infections and that the right ear would never be one hundred percent. It shouldn't be a problem because his left ear was back to one hundred percent. He would still be experiencing the occasional vertigo but that would dissipate with time. Feeling somewhat relieved Bobby decided to head back to the motel room and call it a day. When he reached the room he got a call from another hunter and called to boys to let them know he wouldn't be visiting in the evening. Research proved to be quite a bitch and Bobby didn't finish until the early morning hours. He nodded off and woke up at noon. He figured he'd bring the boys lunch and plead with the doc the release the boys earlier than she he arrived at the hospital the next day, he could tell that things were good with the brothers. The nurses seemed a lot happier and that made Bobby happier. When he entered the boys' room he could tell why. Sam was dressed and looked ready to leave. His bag neatly packed.

"Sam?" Sam looked at Bobby with a smile.

"Hey Bobby, they decided to release me today. Everything is fine or will be." Bobby looked at Dean.

"Yeah, they said they'll probably release me tomorrow. We both passed our tests with flying colors." Bobby smiled and handed the bag to Dean. He handed another to Sam.

"Thought you might appreciate this." Bobby said as Dean opened the bag.

"Bobby, I love you." Dean said as he pulled out his bacon cheeseburger, not a double bacon cheeseburger with extra onions. He practically inhaled it and Bobby rolled his eyes. Kid acted like he was starved or something. Truth was Dean hadn't eaten much of the hospital food. Dean wasn't picky about food but even Bobby had to agree with him. The food they had given him resembled something other than food. And perhaps, Bobby had spoiled him with the breakfasts he had been bringing him. This was Dean's first real meal apart from the bland food Dean had been given. Though Bobby had not overdone it. None too greasy and hadn't complained too badly. They had given Bobby the ok for a cheeseburger.

"Did the doc said anything?" Bobby asked both boys.

"No." Both said in unison and Bobby looked at them both.

"Really? I was under the impression that I told you to take it easy, Sam and that your hearing was doing much better but you could still expect some vertigo." Sam's doctor chided as he walked in. Sam's doctor was followed by Dean's doctor and Sam blushed a little when she looked at him.

"Alright Dean, tests came back negative and your stitches look like they're holding. Finally." Dr. Lane said.

"Does that mean I can leave today as well?" Dean asked and both Sam and Bobby sighed. The doctor smiled. She looked at Sam.

"Guess you were right about him being stubborn. Yes Dean, you are free to leave as well. You've caused our staff enough trouble as it is and I believe you are well enough to be on your way. And I also know that it's no use keeping Dean here because somehow I think Sam would be camped out in your room. Just remember, plenty of rest and try to take it easy." Dean gave her his patented Dean Winchester megawatt smile and she laughed. She handed him his release papers. She looked at Sam and walked outside, whispering something to her colleague. Sam followed her and Bobby made sure that Dean got dressed.

Doctor Lane was standing outside of Dean's room. Sam's doctor had already left and Julie was standing there by herself.

"Doctor Lane?"

"Sam, I told you to call me Ally." She smiled at him and could see the blush creep on his face.

"I know you said that Dean will be fine if he takes it easy."  
"Yet you worry." Sam nodded.

"It's just… I know Dean."

"And he's too stubborn for his own good." Ally finished. Sam smiled and nodded.

"Well, how 'bout you treat me on a cup of coffee and I will tell you exactly what you need to look out for."

"Are you asking me on a date?" Allie smiled.

"Do you want it to be a date?" She asked Sam. Sam blushed.

"Yes." Sam said.

"Well, then it's a date." Sam smiled his dimply smile and Ally nearly went weak in the knees.

"What time would you like me to be here?" Sam asked.

"Tomorrow, let's say one?"

"I'll be here." They both smiled at each other and Sam walked back into the room. Dean was dressed and looking flushed. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, breathing heavily and Sam couldn't help but worry.

"Stop staring, princess. So, did you ask her out? No, let me rephrase that. Did she ask you out?" Sam couldn't help but laugh. His brother did know him.

"Ah, that's my boy." Dean said with a wide smile.

"It's just coffee, Dean." Before Dean could reply an unexpected visitor walked in.

"Hi, is it okay if come in?" Pete asked.

"Hey Pete, well we were just ready to blow this popsicle stand but come in." Dean said. Sam looked confused at the man and his brother.

"Sam, Bobby this is Pete. Saul Balducci was Pete's roommate. Pete this is my brother Sam and Bobby." Sam nodded at the man but the man wasn't looking at Sam but staring at Bobby.

"It's you." Pete said. Bobby looked confused at the kid.

"Scuse me?"

"You. You saved my life." Pete told the story and Bobby still had no idea.

"I never got a chance to thank you for that." Pete held out his hand and Bobby shook it.

"No big deal kid. I stand by my words. Go home and forget about what you think you may know." Pete shook his head.

"I can't. Something killed my roommate." Pete said.

"And it's taken care of." Dean said. Pete nodded and smiled.

"Thank you for that. The whole town is talking about what happened. Though nobody knows exactly what happened only that you guys saved Brian."

"Let's just leave it at that." Dean said. It always felt weird to be thanked for doing his job.

"And I just wanted to know how you were doing and to thank you for saving Brian. I know you won't tell me what it was but you guys are heroes." Pete looked from Dean to Sam. His gaze rested on Bobby and wanted to ask the older man more questions but knew he wouldn't get any answers. So he decided it was time to leave the three men alone.

"Again thank you." Pete said as he left the room. Sam and Dean both looked at Bobby.

"Whatcha looking at?"

"You don't remember him, do you?" Sam asked.

"Son, I'll never admit nor deny." Bobby said.

Dean snorted but before he could come with a retort, a nurse walked in with a wheelchair.

"Hell no, I'm not sitting in that." Dean said immediately.

"It's hospital procedure. You don't ride, you don't leave." The nurse said.

"What about Sam? Why doesn't he have to ride in one?" Bobby tried to stifle a laugh.

"You are absolutely right. I'll just ask for another wheelchair." Dean could feel the bitch-face aimed at him but frankly he didn't care. If he had to suffer than so did Sam. He was an awesome brother like that.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"Idjits."

~Fin~

Whoo! Another story finished. Hope y'all enjoyed this one. Not my best work and it was an experiment for me to do a case!fic.

Again thanks for sticking with this story and I hope you liked the end.


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